Switch elements arranged in the form of a chain or a matrix are controlled, in particular, by addressing row or column circuits of a liquid crystal screen. Liquid crystal screens have a matrix-shaped arrangement of pixels with a switch element being assigned to each pixel. The switch elements are often thin-layer transistors. The image information is applied to the columns and is written row by row into the pixel memory (pixels) via the switch elements. To select the rows, shift registers preferably manufactured using the same technology as the pixels are regularly used.
German Patent No. 43 07 177 describes a circuit arrangement as part of a shift register for controlling switch elements arranged in the form of a chain or a matrix. In particular, this circuit is used to control switch elements in rows of an active matrix for a liquid crystal screen. According to the present invention, the circuit should have no more than seven transistors operating as switches and no more than two capacitors, with some capacitors, together with one capacitor operating as a bootstrap capacitor forming an output stage and at least one additional transistor forming the charge and discharge stage for the bootstrap capacitor. In addition, the circuit is controlled by four clock signals, which are phase shifted 90.degree. one in relation to the other, so that no cross currents appear in the circuit. The output signal going to the row circuit depends directly on the shape of the shift register clock signal in this circuit. In this way, the circuit has few transistors, yet the shape of the output signal is determined.